The north-south motorway E4 passes through Uppsala, and the east-west motorway E18 is not far to the south of the city. The Swedish road authority ("vägverket") provide extensive information on the road situation on the internet.

Commuter trains go to Stockholm every 30 minutes during daytime, and Uppsala has intercity connections to the north and south.

History:
Uppsala is, from a historical point of view, one of the most important places in Sweden. Since the 5th century AD, Uppsala has been a religious and political and later also academic centre in the country. Rich findings from the impressing grave mounds close to Uppsala document the importance of the area in the time from 400-1100 AD. Carvings in the rune stones, which are found at numerous places all around the Uppsala county, show that the vikings were not only savage robbers and looters, but had great artistic skills as well.

After christianization, Uppsala soon became the seat of the archbishop of Sweden (which it still is). The cathedral was built next to the mounds of Gamla (old) Uppsala. After it was partly destroyed in a fire, Uppsala was moved to its present position, and the former town was renamed to Old Uppsala.

The university (founded 1477) is the oldest in northern Europe. The fact that Uppsala became the city to host the university documents the city's importance in the late middle ages. Together with the castle and northern Europe's greatest cathedral, the university dominates Uppsala's silhouette. The castle is built on the highest point of the city by the Wasa dynasty kings in the 16th century, during the time Sweden was on its way to become a great power in Europe.

During the 16th and 17th century, Uppsala was the crowning city for the Swedish kings and queens. One of the most famous Uppsala citizens of that time was Carl von Linne, who invented the classification and nomenclature of the flora and fauna, which is still in use today. You can follow his footprints all over Uppsala's old town.

Not much was left of the medieval town of Uppsala after several devastating fires. After the fire of 1602, which did not leave many buildings unharmed, the street net was nearly completely re-drawn, after that time's fashion with rectangular blocks. Some remains of the old net are preserved close to the cathedral.

Being neutral in both world wars, Sweden's cities were not destructed by bombs. However, the concrete rush in the 60ies and 70ies had a similar effect on many old buildings in the city centre. Today the buildings in the pedestrian area are a very "central European" mixture of old and more modern architecture.